VOA常速英语:马来西亚对吸烟的新严格限制引发争议

At this open-air food court, Eiswary Thirumalai enjoys time with her family.

She says now that the new smoking ban is being enforced.

The atmosphere is much better than before.

"Actually its really discomfort for us,

because while we are eating, will be like, smell smoke things right.

Its not healthy for us while we are eating."

A year ago, a new law was implemented that prohibits smoking in all eateries nationwide.

At the time, smoking was already banned in air-conditioned restaurants.

But the new law also bans smoking within three metres of any table or chair at all indoor and outdoor eateries.

After one year phase-in period, authorities are no longer just warning violators.

Since January, they’ve issued more than 5,000 tickets with fines ranging from the equivalent of 35 to 85 dollars.

"The national cancer society of Malaysia fully supports the law as well as the enforcement of it.

20,000 people died of smoking-related illnesses each year in Malaysia.

Smoking as well as passive smoking, which is second hand smoke

causes 15 kinds of cancer heart diseases and it worsens diabetes as well as mental illnesses."

The new law directly affects Malaysia’s popular semi-enclosed food courts ,

But some of these eateries complain the new law has cut business by 20% and want open-air food courts to be allowed to have a smoking area.

"We request you have a small smoking zone for the convenience of the smoker."

Henry Wong does not smoke but still thinks the law has gone too far.

"people choice to smoke.

They love smoke. Its their life of health.

So I don’t really agree banning people from smoking."

Stephen Wong sat on a food court table with a lit cigarette until other customers objected.

"Theres a lot of people complaining about second hand smoking,

but I have friends or ladies which are in their 80s,

and they have an inhaling second hand smoke for 50 years maybe 60 years.

It’s still alive."

"For non-smokers who are exposed to second hand smoke in homes as well as officers,

they increase their risk of smoking related diseases by 20 to 30%.

So it may be your choice to smoke,

but its not someone else’s choice to be exposed to second hand smoke."

With enforcement of the new law, its a debate that the smoke-free air advocates appear to be winning.